Light Up The Sky
by FrozenInsideTheWinter
Summary: Regina redeems herself by helping the Storybrooke residents find a way back home. When they get there, however, they find some unexpected surprises. Some of which, may lead them to war. Takes place 7 months after The Millers Daughter. Rated M for complexity, violence, and disturbing content. *Based off the song Light Up The Sky by The Afters*
1. Introduction

**Okay guys, so I promised MadameMayor that this story would be up around a week ago and... well... I frankly never got around to it. **

**Horrible excuse, I know. -_-**

**However, it is started now, so I hope you enjoy the intro. Please review and favorite, for a lot more is to come! :)**

Snow awoke to Charming's distant, but obviously raised voice and walked up to the doorframe. She found herself looking out at her husband having a raging discussion with non-other than Regina. What could be Regina's business coming here at this hour? The woman looked severely distressed, her hair tousled about, her face red and her eyes... Her dark eyes were filled with tears.

"Regina, we've given you so many chances, and you just-"

"I'm a different woman now! You just can't see past the black and white line enough to see it!"

"You went with Cora. Snow gave you another chance! She really believed you could change, and you let her down."

"_I _let _her_ down? My GOD David, do you know how many times she let _me _down? Honestly! Do you know how many times I've _been _let down?" Regina's tone calmed but was still dreadfully hard, "You or Snow White will never know dissapointment as I do. You will never know rage or sadness or fear as I do. You should be asking yourself why I'm still trying to earn your respect in the first place." Regina shook her head in solemn frustration at the stubborn man's loss for words.

"Goodbye _Charming_," she sneered, but her heart was not in it. Her eyes, that not moments before had been storming with emotion, were now clear with acceptance of the situation.

So with that, the former Queen spun on her heel and walked straight out the door, leaving a shocked Snow White and David in her wake.


	2. Chapter 1: Nothing To Lose

**Okay guys, you read the intro, now it's time for the first chapter! I might've not gotten Regina's character quite right, but I wanted to show more of her strength as a person. :) Also, I would really appreciate it if you would follow, favorite, and review! :P **

Regina let the tears flow freely once she got into her Benz. Did nobody understand anymore? Why did her life always turn out like this? She had so many questions, but she knew nobody could answer them. Not even herself. That's why she had been up all night, her guilt and hurt building up in her until she was ready to explode.

_I need to make this right,_ she thought,_ I need to win this._ Before she knew it, she had driven down to Gold's shop. The pawn broker's shop sign stood high above on the building wall in a looming manner, reminding her of The Dark One's power. It made her even more wary when she needed something.

She stepped into the shop, and looked around at the emptiness of the room. She padded up to the desk and folded her hands upon it, but something caught her eye. It was a ribbon. A simple ribbon. Her ribbon.

It was the ribbon she used every day of her childhood to tie her braid. It was an unforgettable turquoise that no other person she knew could make, and irreplaceable, for Daniel had been the one to give it to her. She slowly picked it from the accessory rack it had been hanging on and gazed at it. She had forgotten one of her favorite things, and she allowed herself to be glad that Gold's shop had everything important from the Enchanted Forest.

"Found something you like?" It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

Regina looked up startled to see Gold walk in with his cane, looking smug.

"How much is this?" she asked, holding up the worn ribbon.

"Free of charge," he said, waving his hand dismissively. She narrowed her eyes at him but quickly put it in the pocket of her trench coat.

He cleared his throat, "But I take it that this wasn't what you came to see little old me about was it?"

"I want you to help me find a way back to the enchanted forest. Or is that beyond you?" she taunted, craning her neck forward to stare into his cold amber eyes.

"Oh my dear, your talking to the man who bottled true love, lets not go into magical ability now shall we?" he replied, putting his hand to his chest in an offended gesture.

She glared at him, "Can you do it or not?"

"Let me get this straight, you want to do this to prove yourself to the Charmings correct?" he stated, making Regina suppress the urge to roll her eyes.

"I don't have to prove myself to anyone," she said, shaking her head, "I merely want to see my son."

"Dearie, I think we both know by now that that's not true."

His words struck true, and Regina silenced herself. Thinking carefully about what to say next, she straightened her posture, attempting to look regal despite her ruffled appearance. Gold simply looked amused, like he was playing a card game instead of having a discussion.

"As to answer your question, yes. I do know a possible way to get us out of Storybrooke."

"Then why haven't you done it yet?" she asked, her curiosity burning.

"You already know the answer dearie. I quite like Storybrooke compared to the _cell_ I was staying in before all of this happened. And you know just as well as I do that if we do this, that once we're back, Our lives will be even worse than before."

"Gold, if there's one thing I've learned in this life it's that nothing ever turns out as you expect it to."

"Well aren't you Miss Optimistic?" His slight smile was met with a glare.

"Rumple, I'll give you anything." Gold saw her pleading through her eyes with her entire being, and for the first time in a while felt sorry for her.

He sighed, "I'll do it."

"What do you want?"

"The price will be there when we get back. The question is are you willing to take the risk of losing everything?"

"I have nothing to lose."

OUAT

Emma admired the sky on the Saturday morning, it was sunny, the kind of weather that made her drowsy. Henry was walking beside her chatting away about the 5:30 a.m. soccer practices he has been recently taking part in. He seemed to really love it, but Emma's opinion of it was a different story. He said he had always been an early bird, but Emma was about to fall over on the spot.

She unlocked the door and came into the apartment, hearing quiet voices coming from the kitchen.

"We're home!" she called lazily. Snow came out of the kitchen instantly, with a weary smile plastered to her pale face.

"Hey Henry! How was practice?"

"Hey Snow, it was great. Nicholas threw a great score! We won the game!"

"Oh that's great! Hey why don't take a shower and then come back and tell me all about it!"

"Okay!" He bounded to the bathroom and shut the door. Emma saw Snow's smile vanish instantly as soon as he was gone, putting a worried frown in its place.

"Hey what's wrong?"

"It's Regina, she came by."

"Really?! Are you okay? Did she do anything?"

Snow sighed. "No, not yet anyway."

Emma's eyes were wide now, "What does that mean?"

"She was begging us to understand that she was trying to change. She left almost in tears."

"Do you think she'll get back at us?"

"I can't be sure."

Emma plopped down on the small sofa ungracefully, eying Snow with suspicion, for she had been staring.

"What?"

Snow just shrugged with a lopsided grin, making her shake her head. Emma let it go and laid down on the cushy material.

"I don't know about you but I'm hella tired," Emma mumbled, instantly asleep when her face hit the pillow.

Snow watched her for a while, her smile back in place.

"I love you Emma."


	3. Chapter 2: Good Or Evil?

**Ok guys, here's the second chapter for you. :) There's some more Snow in this chapter because I know how people like her. ;)**

Snow sat down to eat her breakfast at the island, lost in thought. Regina's visit the previous day had left her troubled, to say the least. When Charming sat in front of her, she looked up into his concerned eyes. She sighed and put her fork down, crossing her arms.

"It's Regina," she blurted, "I just can't help but feel…guilty."

David stared at her, "Guilty? Snow, there nothing to feel bad about she-"

She snorted, thinking about her latest crisis with Regina, "David, there's _plenty_ for me to feel bad about in this case. Trust me."

He shook his head in frustration and gently placed his hand over hers. She let him reassure her for a split second, but the good feeling was gone as soon as it came. She pulled back and grabbed her pastel coat from the seat next to her, knowing what she needed to do.

"I'm sorry David. I can't do this to her, not again."

Without another word, Snow ran out the door.

"Snow?! Snow!"

* * *

Snow rapped on Regina's door, wanting badly to talk with the brunette, although knowing she would not be welcome. She kept knocking but there was no answer.

"Regina!" Just as she was about to give up, the door swung open and she was face to face with the Queen. She looked even worse up close. There were purple bags under her eyes, her shoulders slouched, and her hair was dull and flat against her head. Snow watched as the tired shine in Regina's eyes turned to a sparkling anger.

"Regina, can I please just talk to you for a moment?" Snow pleaded, desperately hoping she would say yes. She wanted Regina to forgive her so very much, and she would do whatever it took. There was a moment of silence and then-

"No."

Snow nodded downwards in understanding. She didn't blame her though, she probably wouldn't let herself in either if she was Regina.

"I'm sorry," she knew an apology wouldn't do anything. It never did.

"Sorry doesn't fix things, Snow. Our lives don't have room for regret." She started to close the door, but Snow caught it and stared into her stepmother's hurt brown eyes.

"Do you really believe that? Do you really not regret all those things you did?" Snow asked in a solomn voice. She looked deeper into Regina's eyes, seeing a shimmer of emotion. The silence confirmed.

Snow continued, "Mine does." This caught Regina attention, and she opened the door again slightly.

Snow looked at her feet, not knowing what to say next. So she said what she was thinking.

"I know you can change. I realize now that back home you had nobody to motivate you to change, except your father who was already far along in life," Snow said gently, being careful of her wording.

Regina glared at her but stayed silent, wanting to hear the rest of what she had to say.

"I want you to have that motivation, and have a relationship with you where we're not both fighting or hiding from one another. I know that we'll never be friends, but I want to try, for Henry."

"You expect me to forgive you when you're the cause of my true love's death? When you trapped me in a 15 year marriage I hated, took away my son and made me kill my own mother?" Regina asked in a rage, her eyes turning angry once more.

The words stung with truth, but she pushed on.

"I'll never be able to make up for those things, Regina. They are unforgivable. But what would Daniel and your parents want you to be? Good? Or evil?"

She practically saw the gears turn in Regina's head, and the anger was replaced by realization and sadness. Regina's eventual response was not the answer she was expecting:

"Please, just go," Regina said softly, but firmly.

Snow figured she had said enough and turned to walk away, but turned around at the driveway for a last look at her stepmother.

"Regina?" The Queen had been watching her leave, and narrowed her eyes in response.

She was going out on an extremely thin limb here, but it would be worth it.

"I love you."

Regina looked severely taken aback, but she swore she saw her eyes soften before she quickly shut the door.

On her way back to the apartment, she remembered the words Regina said to her at the diner:

"_Have you ever considered the fact that maybe I am good?"_

And she could see it. She could really see it.

* * *

Charming shook his head in worry. Why wasn't she back by now? If Regina had done something, and she most likely had, he would-

"Hey we're home!"

His daughter's voice cut through is thoughts and he turned on his island stool to face them. Henry was smeared with dry mud. He scowled and mumbled a "Hey," before disappearing into the bathroom. Emma sighed and set her keys down, visibly noticing an absence of her mother a moment later.

"Where's Mary Margaret?"

He sighed, letting his worry show through his voice, "She went to see Regina."

"What?! And you didn't go after her?" she asked in disbelief.

He shook his head in negative and grabbed his jacket, thinking about what horrible things could be happening to her that very second. What if Regina had killed her already? The thought made him walk that much quicker to the door.

"I'm going over right now."

"I'm coming with you," Emma demanded, running to catch up to him in the hall.

"No you're not, it's too dangerous." He knew he couldn't let Emma get hurt too, even though he knew she was strong.

"Hey, look," she said, and grabbed his arm to turn him around, looking a bit offended.

"I've faced Regina and a hell of a lot worse and I can do it again. I'm not a child, I'm an adult, and after all the crap I've been through I deserve some respect." Her green eyes bored firmly into his until he gave in.

He nodded and ran to the bug with Emma, knowing he was lucky to have such a strong daughter.

* * *

Emma ran out of the car with Charming in tow, up to Regina's door, Snow walking back to her aparment . Taking a massive intake of breath, she kicked the door so hard it collapsed on the entryway floor of the house. One figure stood on the left side of the door, her image hazy through the white paint dust in the air. Everyone was speechless, but not Regina. She walked up to them and Emma thought she would be able to see her fiery eyes a mile away.

"What the hell is going on here!?" she yelled, her voice cracked though, and she didn't look like she could harm a soul. Although they all knew that wasn't true.

"Where is she?" Emma hissed after doing a quick scan into the house. "Where the hell is she?!" David yelled when Regina didn't reply, grabbing her by her shirt collar and pushing her into the side of the house.

Regina gave an indignant huff, raising her hand and throwing him across the driveway. She straightened her jacket and smirked in an obvious attempt to annoy them.

"She's walking back to your apartment, she left a little while ago. She's probably back there right now," She said in a bored voice.

Emma glared at her, but looked into her dark eyes and saw nothing but truth in them.

"She better be," was all Emma dared to say and trotted away as the door was magicked back in place. Once they were driving again in silence, they spotted Mary walking on the town sidewalk. She quickly pulled up next to her and allowed her to get in. Emma wondered why Mary seemed so calm, what had gone on? She wondered what Regina's response had been when Snow showed up. Most likely not good. But her thoughts were lost as soon as her mother got in the truck. She and David exploded with questions on Mary Margaret.

"What were you thinking?!"

"Snow, she could've killed you!"

"What did she say?"

"Are you okay?"

"Did she threaten you?"

"What happened?"

"Be quiet!" Snow barked, and the car got tensely silent.

"I think I may have gotten through to her, thank you very much. And you two didn't help with the matter at all. Next time when I leave alone, I stay alone," Snow said from the back seat.

Emma looked at her hands on the wheel in embarrassment, and Charming shook his head.

When they arrived at the apartment, Henry threw himself at Emma.

"You were gone when I got out of the shower! I thought Regina hurt you!"

She kissed the top of his head, "It's okay, she's okay. Snow went to see her today and possibly got through to her.""

"But what if-"

"She was only like she was because after her mother's death she had no one else. She's alone," Snow budded in softly.

Regina watched the whole interaction in front of her hallway mirror.

_Finally._


	4. Chapter 3: Missing Components

**Sorry I didn't put anything up this week, schoolwork ya know? :( Anyway, enjoy!**

*bleeeeep,bleeeeep,bleee-* Regina slammed her hand on top of her phone and took a moment through her sleepy haze to press the answer button. She saw the time on her alarm clock. _3:04._ Who could possibly be calling her at this hour?

"Yes?" she mumbled.

"Regina, it's Gold," sounding tired also, "I'm almost finished testing my theory to get us back to the Enchanted Forest. I think it will work, but I need you to come down to the shop for me to be absolutely certain."

She struggled to sit up, her eyes still half closed. She was supicious about what he needed her for, but she was too tired to question him at the moment.

"Alright, I'll be there in ten." She hung up and stumbled to the bathroom, flicking on the light and standing in front on the mirror. She looked, dare she say it, dreadful. Her hair was flat against her head, she hadn't eaten that much lately either, and the points of her eyes were turned down. She looked like she had done drugs, even though she would never do such an idiotic activity.

Is this what she had really been reduced to? An unhappy, bitter, sour, vengeful, selfish human being? Had she really changed that much? It was really a wonder Henry was able to love her at all. No, she shouldn't think like that. That could lead her to some very unhappy roads that she did not want to go down. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and started to put on her clothes.

* * *

When Regina entered the pawn shop it had an eerie glow from the back room reflecting off all the glass, making the whole shop practically green. She walked into the back room hesitantly, wondering what the imp was up to.

"Ahhh Regina, nice to see your still precise as ever," he commented, gesturing to the clock on the wall that did indeed say exactly _3:14. _

"Gold, what did you call me here to do at three fifteen in the morning?" she asked tiredly.

"Well if you must know dearie, back at the Enchanted Forest, I had conjured up a back up spell to ever get us back there if needed," he held up a strip of paper with small detailed writing, "I am missing the main component. I need the tears of the caster, not magic induced, to fall into this bottle," he held up a glowing translucent bottle with his other hand, "while the caster thinks about their one true love. You must think of them in your purest state of mind, and if you succeed, the bottle will give you one wish, any wish you want, even the impossible. You will use it to send us all back. I will have to train you heavily for the mind power it takes to perform one of these spells."

"And what happens if it is done wrong?"

He frowned, "If it is not down correctly, everything and everyone that has to do with the wish will instantly be destroyed."

* * *

Henry sighed, unable to sleep. He looked to his bedside and saw the unbelievably early morning that it was. He growled in frustration and rolled the other way. The truth is, he could stop thinking about his mom.

Regina.

She really was alone. He had never stopped to think about what it would feel like to be in her place, sitting at the mansion with only herself and chores and herself again, with the occasional threats of death by the residents of Storybrooke. He would have liked to remind himself that up since she cast the curse she had had it coming, but he didn't.

His mother was never really happy, he knew that. When he was little, she had always played with him and smiled and laughed with him, but there had always been a sad glint in her brown eyes that he had never been able to identify. When he ran away to get Emma, that glint became a glisten, and lately, it became the eyes themselves.

He was almost asleep again when he remembered lying on top of her during a big storm when he was five. He had been able to hear her steady heartbeat, sounding so mellow against his hammering one. Her eyes had been closed, but she had still held onto him tightly, like she could never let him go even if she tried.

He remembered her words to him that night, _"The only way to overcome fear is to face it."_

He instantly fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 4: The Unthinkable

**Okay, so I'm trying to make the chapters a little longer for you guys. Sorry about the wait, enjoy! **

As Regina drove her way to her magic lesson, she couldn't help but remember the old times when she first learned it. Rumplestilskin was definitely manipulative, but she was trying to be a better person, for Henry and more importantly herself. But she couldn't help but wonder if falling back into magic lessons to prove herself to the Charmings was the smartest plan. She was not only risking her life, but all of theirs as well. And what if she slipped again while using the dark magic? What if… what if she became the Evil Queen again? She shivered at the thought, but tried to move on to something else.

What kind of things would she be doing in her training? Draining rivers? Creating life-forms? Whatever it was, it was sure to be pretty advanced. But she couldn't help to let her mind wander on the thought of if she failed. Everyone, including Henry and herself, would surely die a unnecessary, painful death. She could just imagine them all being torn by every fiber of their soul, magic fire eating away at their bodies like a nuclear bomb. She couldn't let that happen. She, Could. Not. Fail.

In her former life, she would have gladly seen the residents of her country die with her if it meant Snow's demise as well. But now she was a different person, a different Regina. She wished they would see that in her. The only way for them to see it, however, was to do the unthinkable.

Once she got to Gold's estate, she didn't get out right away. She parked the car and leaned her head against the steering wheel, contemplating whether she should call off the dangerous deal before it was too late, but she knew if she was going to ever have a life worth living, she could not do such a thing. She sat there for several minutes taking deep breaths before finally gathering herself and stepping gracefully out of the car, walking up to the front porch and giving a short rap on the clean white door. It swung open almost immediately, and Rumple gave her a small smile.

"Regina, please come in; I've set up in the back."

She nodded and stepped inside the large home. It was a bit smaller than her's, but still very large. She walked through slowly, taking her time to note that there was no customization to the home whatsoever. There were no pictures, no knickknacks, no books. It had only simple brown furniture and clean white surfaces, unlike her classy, horse-and-apple filled mansion.

She followed him to the backdoor and into the exceptionally large backyard filled with gargoyles and… and dead carcasses of people in village rags.

"My God Gold, what have you done?" she gasped in horror.

He smirked, "Don't worry dearie, it's just an illusion. And besides, I didn't kill those people, you did."

She paled, remembering that day when she had went to the village to try and find any information from the villagers about where Snow White might have gone. She remembered the fury that had run through her veins when not one of them chose to speak up, not even for riches. But that fury had burned even more painful when she realized right then and there that no man or woman would ever see the good in her or ever love her ever again, all because of Snow White. The feeling had cut her deep inside, hurting her beyond words. She had not intended to kill those villagers, but that was what had happened and something she could not take back. She felt tears of overwhelming mixed emotion well up in her eyes, but she did not allow them to fall. Not this time.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked grimly.

"I want you to close your eyes and know that they are not there. You must believe with all you heart and soul that you are not that person anymore, that you are doing this to become better. You must believe and know that they are gone, and when you are sure, open your eyes."

She nodded and complied, closing her eyes and tried to convince herself that the bodies were not there, that they were just an illusion, that they were not real. But her mind kept wandering to that dreadful day, when that realization hit her like a ton of bricks, snapping her neck and stopping her heart. She tried to get away from that memory, but it kept following her in the way that trees are always in a forest, no matter where you go. She had the temptation to open her eyes to see if it worked, but nothing had changed. She sighed in frustration, glancing at Gold who was standing against his cane watching in amusement.

"Keep trying, Regina, you can't give up so easily."

So she closed her eyes and tried once more, but the memory still followed her weak mind.

"Gold, how is it you do this?" she asked in exasperation. She had been doing this for many minutes and it was taking a toll on her non-caffeinated self.

"Try one more time dearie."

She closed her eyes and tried something different. She closed off her mind and listened only to the birds and creatures and features of nature around her, letting a wave of calm wash over her. She thought of all the things she deserved, all the things she was good at. She felt confident and soon felt comfortable enough to think about her situation. She concentrated on Gold's earlier words; _"I want you to close your eyes and know that they are not there. You must believe with all you heart and soul that you are not that person anymore, that you are doing this to become better. You must believe and know that they are gone, and when you are sure, open your eyes."_ And she believed it, she believed it with all her heart.

She creaked open her eyes just a bit, and saw that all the bodies were gone, dozens of blue butterflies fluttering in their place. She grinned widely in happiness towards Gold.

"Congratulations dearie, you've past your first test."

Maybe she could do it after all.

**Okay so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I put a lot of work into this chapter, and I feel it's some of my best work. ;) If any of you were wondering, "Why butterflies?" I put them in the place of the bodies because they are the symbol of rebirth, the soul, transformation, and the three phases of life. **


	6. Chapter 5: First Thing Tomorrow

**K guys, chapter 5 is up! :D Tell me how you like it!**

When Regina got home she was unbelievably tired. She had done mind exercises the whole damn day, and she was finally ready for some rest. She set her keys and purse down on the table and walked straight up to her room, feet dragging in her expensive black boots. She was at the doorframe when her eyes wandered to Henry's room, right across the hall. She sighed.

She missed him more than words could say. She wished things could have been different, wished they could have lived together forever, but she knew that was all it would ever be, a wish.

"_Mommy, can you play soccer with me? Pleeeeeease?" Henry asked, giving her his best puppy dog eyes._

_She stared at him, taken aback by his sudden offer. She looked down at her black dress and extremely high heels and then back at her son. Why soccer?_

"_Honey, I have to go to a meeting, I can't play soccer right now."_

_Henry looked at his beautiful mother in annoyance, she could be mean sometimes._

"_Please? I really want to be on the school team, and now is the best time to practice!" He intensified his puppy eyes. _

"_Alright," she sighed, kicking off her shoes, "Just wait here sweetie, I'll be down in a minute." She knew she didn't regret this decision one bit once she saw her little boy's eyes light up in happiness._

_Regina raced up the stairs to change when she heard Henry call after her._

"_No running on the stairs, mom!"_

She smiled at the memory and continued on her way to bed.

* * *

For the next 2 months, Regina came and went from her days at Gold's estate, each visit making her wiser than the next. She didn't talk to anyone except for Gold, didn't call anyone, and didn't even make the effort to step out of her house outside of her daily lessons. Her mind felt dreary, her body weak, and her spirit daunted. She was proud of her progress in her lessons, for soon Gold said she would be ready, but she felt like nothing mattered. Like she was nothing.

And the sad part was that lately nobody called or looked for her, like nobody cared. What was she going to do?

* * *

The Charmings (Henry's nickname for them all) all sat at the dinner table on a Saturday afternoon happily, while Henry talked about his day and Mary and David joked and laughed. Emma stayed silent and picked at her food, however, deep in thought.

"Emma, honey, what is it?" Mary Margaret asked, tempted to reach for her daughter's hand but quickly deciding against it.

Emma looked up quickly, noticing all eyes were now trained on her in silence.

"Oh what? Nothing, just thinking," she said with a shaky smile. David narrowed his blue eyes in suspicion, and she quickly looked back down.

"Come on Emma, what's bothering you? You can tell us," Mary prodded gently.

Emma sighed and gave in, "Well, it's just… we've heard no word from Regina in… well awhile! Has really nobody noticed that she hasn't even been seen recently?" she asked with a raise of her eyebrows. Unlike many others, Emma wanted to have a civil relationship with the woman, and wanted to understand her better so that they could all move on.

"That is odd," David commented, looking down in puzzlement.

"She could definitely be planning something-"

"David!" Mary scolded, "I thought we all talked about this, she's trying to change and she can't with you constantly doubting her!"

Everyone's eyes went wide as Mary calmed, letting silence wash awkwardly over the dinner table.

No one ever thought in a million years that Snow White would be defending her stepmother like that. _But Regina deserves it,_ Emma thought to herself.

"Haven't you called her lately?" Henry broke in quietly. She shook her head.

"Well Emma, we can go find her first thing tomorrow, but right now let's just finish dinner ok?" Mary Margaret suggested, putting her hand on top of her's.

"Yeah," she agreed, feeling the corners of her mouth turn up , "first thing tomorrow."


	7. Chapter 6: In The New Light Of Dawn

**Hello everyone. ^^ I'm so sorry, I haven't updated in 2 months! I'm sure some of you were thinking it was done already (as I would have), but I would never give up on a story. So, I hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

The next morning Emma and her parents set out to look for Regina. After a bit of retaliation from Henry, he finally agreed to stay with Ruby in case something bad had happened to his mother.

As Emma and her parents drove down to the mansion, she thought about what they were doing. She knew that she and Regina had never really gotten along previously, and she doubted that that was going to change, but they all had to learn to put aside their differences if they were ever going to find a way back home.

A morbid idea suddenly popped into her head, "What will we do if she's..." Emma trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

"We better hope she isn't, for Henry's sake. He'd be devastated..." Snow replied softly. The rest of the car ride was silent in agreement.

They pulled up to the mansion and sprinted to the door, while Emma knocked firmly. After a few more knocks the door slowly creaked open to reveal an empty walkway. The trio stepped inside hesitantly after hearing a weak 'come in'. The house was deathly silent and they soon found Regina lying on the black leather couch in the living room. When she came closer she could see the paleness of her skin and hear the woman's labored breathing, her eyes severely bloodshot.

Emma watched her mother run to the woman's side, "Regina! You look awful, what happened to you?"

Regina glared at the pixie-haired brunette, snatching her hand bitterly away from the touch of the other woman. Even weak, she still had her bite. She turned her attention to Emma and David, once again settling into her spot on the couch.

"I've been seeing Rumplestilskin...he's been training me in magic so that I can...get you back home."

Everyone was taken aback by the new information. It was not the first thing they would imagine Regina doing, of course. Sure Regina was infuriating, this this was something Emma herself would hesitate to do.

Emma felt sorry for the woman and knelt down in front of her, "Regina, you don't have to keep doing this to yourself. We'll find another way home, I know it," she gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "And besides, you have to stay alive... for Henry right?"

She watched as Regina witch gave a small smile at the mention of her son, "But that's exactly why I have to keep doing this. Things can't keep going as they are, now that the curse is broken. We all deserve good lives, the lives we want. And if I succeed, that's exactly what we'll have.

* * *

The next night everyone had agreed to stay in the Mayor's many guest rooms in case there were any emergencies. She would never admit it, but Regina felt strangely grateful for her enemies' care. The company certainly did help when she was in such bad condition, she didn't care who it was from. It was nice to have someone take care of her for a change, and not have the person be the cause of her illness.

She lied in bed with heavy eyelids, but she forced herself to stay awake. Her entire body ached horribly, and she started to feel the familiar acidic slosh in her stomach. She wearily glanced at the clock that read _12:05 _and silently slipped out of the bedding. She paused on the side of the bed, catching the view out the window in hazy imagery.

Moonlight bathed most of the room, as she had not closed the curtains that morning. The full moon blared directly in front of her window, casting shadows off the buildings of Storybrooke. The city was mostly dark, however, save for the one 24 hour drive through and a few other up-all-night medical facilities. She desperately wanted to crawl back under the covers and forget all there was to be forgotten until morning under the peace of the moon, but she stopped herself.

_If I miss a night's training, I have to start over in this strenuous mess of mind games. I won't even live through another event like this all over, failing is not an option. What would Henry say if I told him I couldn't get the town back home because I wasn't feeling well? He would surely go back to calling me the Evil Queen. But why did I start this in the first place? I hate all of these people in my house, besides Henry. They've ruined my own happy ending. It was ludicrous to even let them stay in the first place! So why am I trying to get them back home?_

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the clock tick another minute, rousing her out her doubtful mindset, but the unanswered question still hanging in the air. Without another thought she slowly slipped into the pantsuit and boots that were lying on the end of the bed and quietly opened her door. She padded down the hall past Emma's room, and allowed her footsteps to become a bit more relaxed. After all, Emma was the full embodiment of lazy, she couldn't be that much of a light sleeper right?

Wrong.

The door swung open to reveal the savior in only underwear and a thin tank top, gun poised in hand. The blonde's eyes widened at the sight of Regina and soon realized what she was wearing with a blush.

"Regina? What are you doing up?"

She felt her lip curl almost involuntarily with disgust at the woman's sleeping garments, but said nothing. Did this woman have no class? Her pride soon got the best of her and she decided to answer the annoying blonde's question.

"I am going to Mr. Gold's estate to progress on my magic lessons." Lessons almost seemed like the wrong word for what was at stake when she would finally be ready. The stress weighed her down, and she couldn't bring herself to be frustrated with Emma tonight. Not tonight.

Before Regina could protest Emma grabbed her hand and pulled her into her bedroom, shutting the door quickly.

"Miss Swan, what is the meaning of this?" she rasped.

She ignored her, "You seriously are going out there again? I told you, we can find another way-"

Regina gestured to the gun Emma was carelessly waving about in her left hand, and after noticing she put it down on the nightstand gingerly.

"But we don't know when or even _if_ we'll ever find that way. Now is my chance to show Storybrooke who I really am," Regina felt hope blossom in her chest, "And do something bigger than I am."

Emma's eyes bore into her own questioningly until she spoke again, "Is this really what you want?"

The brunette found herself nodding, "Yes." She tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear to give herself something to do.

"I meant to ask you, what will happen if this doesn't go the way you planned?" the blonde asked, crossing her arms.

Regina winced at the question she had been hoping Emma wouldn't ask. But knowing the savior, she knew it was going to be asked anyway.

She looked down, "Well, it will. Don't worry about it." She met Emma's narrowed gaze once more before turning to the door. She noticed a pair of jeans on the floor and smiled.

"And Miss Swan?"

"Yeah?"

She threw the 7's at Emma, who tried to suppress a grin.

"Put some pants on."

* * *

Regina painfully speed-walked down to the pawnbroker's estate, afraid her car might wake everyone. The full moon no longer shone brightly across town, as she had seen from her window that night. Instead it had weakened and the sky had grown a lighter hue, signaling that dawn was almost here. A cold rush of wind hit her forcefully, but she felt better than when she was in bed. She was more refreshed than she had been in months.

When she finally reached the estate she rang the doorbell several times before Gold appeared at the door once more. Their lessons had been getting later into the night as a result of Regina's illness from the magic being taught. Even though she had been coming to his house every day for a while now, the eeriness of the mansion still unnerved the Queen.

They silently walked through the house until Gold took an unfamiliar detour up the stairs. She stood at the bottom of the stairwell and looked at him questioningly.

"Well, dearie, are you coming or not?" he asked with a sigh, leaning on his cane.

She nodded slowly in suspicion and quickly followed him up onto another staircase a few moments later, before he lead her into a long dark hallway.

_What's happening? Is today the day?_

She felt her stomach tie in knots when they soon came to a blue door and the pawnbroker gestured for Regina to open it. Before she did though, he handed her the small bottle he had showed her when she had first started. Tears of fear pricked at her eyes as she gently took the bottle into her own hand. It seemed to be mocking her with questions. She couldn't even begin to describe the lost feeling she felt.

"Open the door the moment when the bottle starts to glow. You know what to do," Rumplestilskin told her in a somber voice.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself of her task.

_"I need the tears of the caster, not magic induced, to fall into this bottle," he held up a glowing translucent bottle with his other hand, "while the caster thinks about their one true love. You must think of them in your purest state of mind, and if you succeed, the bottle will give you one wish, any wish you want, even the impossible. You will use it to send us all back."_

She thought about Daniel, how he changed her life in all the positive ways. It almost made a smile etch itself across her face. But she also thought about how he influenced herself in more bad ways than good.

_No, no, no! I can't think about this right now! I have to do this correctly!_

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of the good things anymore.

_But without him, this entire event wouldn't have ever happened. I wouldn't have Henry, whom I love with all my heart. They both kept that spot of red in my darkened heart that keeps me sane. I love you Daniel, I love you so much._

A small tear streaked down her face and into the glass bottle. Within her she could feel a powerful emotion she had never felt before, and she opened her eyes that she didn't even realize were closed. A whoosh of air blasted her in the face when she saw that the bottle had turned a pale pink, and without another thought did she turn the cold metal handle of the big blue door. She stepped inside and let a blinding light wash over herself and the mansion.

* * *

_**Well, I hoped you enjoyed that chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. There is much more to come, I assure you. I can't believe how many views this story has gotten since it was first written. It's amazing! :D And I'm very sorry for the writing delay on this story, I've been beyond busy. I will update much more than that from now on. XD Stay tuned, and please review! I love reading how my work was. ^^**_


	8. Chapter 7: Darkness and Light

_**Alright guys, next chapter is up! Now we can get started on the REAL adventure! :D**_

* * *

Emma woke with a grand headache and squinted her eyes in the face of the blaring sun. She could feel a slight breeze and noticed she was outside. On a balcony. A very expensive balcony. She felt an elbow to her ribs and turned to see Mary Margaret starting to sit up.

"Hey, easy with the elbowing will you?"

Her mother chuckled and wrapped her cardigan tighter around herself, "Sorry, I can't see a thing."

Emma stood and shook her head in relief as her monstrous headache cleared away. She took Mary Margaret's hand and pulled her up, taking a look at the view displayed for them. You could see entire villages, fields, and castles. It was all destroyed, however.

Houses were messes with half their structure torn to pieces, stones and towers of the castles were missing, and the once grassy fields were dead and brown. She heard Mary Margaret let out a choked sob and glanced over at her.

"It's gone. Our kingdom. It's all...gone."

* * *

Regina opened her eyes to find only darkness. Her head throbbed viciously, and she felt that she was lying on something cold, like a slab of marble. Her eyes soon adjusted to the darkness, a piece of light shining through a small crack in the wall helped her stand up groggily with effort. She could see the faint outline of a door nearby and went to open it. Just before she turned the handle she felt something wrap around her ankle, pulling her legs out from under her and dragging her back to where she had awoken.

She could hear her heart thumping in her ears from her position on her back. She could make out two glimmering eyes, staring straight down at her in front of her face. After a minute of staring she dared to ask a question to... whatever this thing was.

"Can I leave now?" she whispered.

Suddenly, candles around the rooms lit one by one, and with each passing moment she could see more and more of the dark figure hovering above her. She gasped, it was herself.

* * *

_**Alright, I'm sorry it was so short. But the next one will be longer. I had a mild case of writers block communicated by my friend, but I think this will do. I wanted all of you to get a taste for some of the problems they're going to face in the beginning of the story. Please review! :D**_


	9. Chapter 8: Believe: Part I

**Hello everyone. I'm sorry for the lack in updating but... oh never mind. Enjoy the chapter. :)**

* * *

Regina couldn't believe her eyes as the _thing_ above her shot her a twisted smile. The copy of herself had her long hair in a high ponytail, like she used to wear it. But the copy's eyes were all black, no white's, like a demon in those horror movies she used to watch.

She could feel her heart contract in terror as the demon just stared, smiling. Thinking quickly, she summoned familiar purple sparks to her fingertips and concentrated on blasting the demon away. Horror seized her mind as her magic exploded into the demon's chest, only to dissolve visually. The demon woman laughed hoarsely as she took Regina by the throat and pulled her up, forcing her to her stand on her feet. The demon let go her of her throat and stared her in the eyes once more.

Regina dared to take her eyes off the woman for a split second to look down at the black pentagon below her, etched into the stone. Her gaze snapped back up to look at the picture of herself, which had started to speak. The demon's face was only inches from her own, and she had to cling to the back of her shirt to stop her hands from shaking and partially losing her mind.

"Regina. You remember me don't you? The evil part of you?" Its voice was like her own, except a bit deeper, and had a slight inhuman tint. Regina glared, not answering.

"You haven't forgotten me, I can tell. You are still tempted by the dark every day," the demon started to pace around her in circles, a mocking expression on its face. "You still haven't made the choice. But let me tell you this. If your so good, if your so innocent, why do you make supposedly, 'evil' decisions? Why does everyone still hate you, even when you made a pure effort to redeem yourself?"

The demon stopped in front of her, "People can't change, they can only fool themselves into believing they can."

She remembered when she had said those exact words to Emma at the diner almost a year ago. But she suddenly realized that she no longer believed that. Regina felt courage weave its way into her chest little by little, "Your wrong. I was wrong. It's believing that you can that allows you to change."

The demon snarled in frustration, and for a short second Regina felt the world stop as the demon queen plunged her hand into her chest. She felt her knees touch the floor when she sank down in pain, and an overwhelming grief seized her body, radiating from her chest. She watched with blurred vision as the black-eyed woman squeezed her heart, watching the red fade with another twisted grin plastered on her familiar face. Regina was more than ready to meet her end when something in her mind told her not to give up, despite the dire circumstances.

She realized that when she passed, she would leave her life regrettingly unfinished. She never had said goodbye to Henry, never made up with Snow, and no matter how annoying she was, never said thank you to Emma. But one of the most painful things was that she would die alone by the hand of what she hated most. Evil. She couldn't let it happen. She just couldn't.

She thought of the most powerful spell she ever learned. She had never actually succeeded in doing it, but it was the only thing that would help her right now. It was one of the most powerful banishing spells ever created. In order for it to work, she would have to internally scrape her soul clean of any guilt or betrayal, and finally move on. Only then would the spell grant her wish of banishing the evil demon in front of her.

She tried to concentrate, but her vision blurred and swayed and the excruciating pain in her hollow chest intensified tenfold.

_I...I forgive them. All of them. Charming never believed in me, but he was only trying to protect his family. I know that now. Emma had never been anything but reasonable, and saved my miserable life many times. I had pushed her away because I feared losing Henry, which happened anyway. She could have been a valuable friend. Snow...she was young and innocent. Cora was clever and manipulative. Snow never stood a chance. Even if both our lives were ruined, she had tried so hard to be a good stepdaughter. We...could still make up for that. And Henry, my little boy. Ah-pain, pain, pain! It hurts... he is the treasure of my heart. I could never leave him. I could never leave any of them. That's why I'm doing this. That's why I took them back home..._

Suddenly, the agonizing pain receded, and she was left alone and trembling on the cold marble floor. _Wait, alone? _Purple sparks showered from the stone ceiling and she could no longer feel the etch of the pentagon under her thin fingers. She looked up slowly and found her heart in front of her face, completely red for them first time in over 30 years.

Despite the lingering weakness and pain, she felt the widest grin spread across her face and laughed. She laughed in happiness that she had finally done something so wonderful, finally done something she would be proud to live with. She coughed and sat up, picking her heart up into her trembling palm. She took a deep breath and shoved it back in her chest, surprised when it went in painlessly. She stumbled when she stood to her feet, but still had a bright smile across her lips as she walked out into the sunlight of her old home.

_Time to find the others._

* * *

**Oh my, wasn't that interesting? :D Yes I know, I never said it was going to be a horror/supernatural story but the plot just kind of twisted that way. Sorry, just go with it. Next chapter will be more from Mary and Emma's point of view as well as how they all find each other. It will also feature some other difficult problems to face. ;) Please R&R! **


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